Short Game for Janecyk, Long Night for Kings

It took goaltender Bob Janecyk less than three minutes Monday to realize that it was not going to be his night.

With Roland Melanson still out due to injury, Janecyk started in goal for the Kings here in a 6-3 loss in front of 16,762 fans at the Olympic Saddledome.

Two minutes and 56 seconds later, Janecyk was yanked by Coach Pat Quinn, the result of his having given up two goals on the first three shots he faced.

“The team was ready, but our goaltender wasn’t,” Quinn said. “The first goal was a knuckleball that he might not have been able to stop. . . . You can’t just blame him, but it took a lot of starch out of us.”

Said Janecyk: “I bobbled the first shot, and they scored on the second and third. It just happens like that sometimes.”

Darren Eliot replaced Janecyk and allowed the Flames another goal on the first shot he faced after just 33 seconds on the ice. Less than a minute later, he almost yielded another goal, but Flame right wing Jim Peplinski’s shot hit the left post.

Undaunted, the Flames came right back and scored on their first shot of the second period when Tim Hunter beat Eliot to make it 4-0.

“It (replacing Janecyk) wasn’t an ideal situation, but it’s part of the game. He (Janecyk) was ready, but those things happen,” Eliot said.

“I was happy with the way I played tonight. I’ve only been back (from the minors) for two games and I’m playing my game.”

Eliot was recalled from the Kings’ farm team in New Haven, Conn., after Melanson reinjured his groin against the New York Rangers on Jan. 15. Melanson is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks.

Things were so bad that the Kings might have considered reactivating assistant coach Phil Myre, a former goalie, and used him instead of Janecyk and Eliot.

Defenseman Jamie Macoun, right wing Hakan Loob, defenseman Charlie Bourgeois, Hunter, left wing Eddy Beers and right wing Lanny McDonald scored for the Flames (23-21-4), who are unbeaten in their last five games (4-0-1).

Throw out that disastrous early showing by the goalies, and the Kings actually played well enough to win.

After falling behind, 4-0, the Kings outscored the Flames, 3-2, during the remainder of the game.

“The only thing I can say is that we battled back all night long,” Quinn said. “We found out something about ourselves, and that we can beat that hockey team in the other room (the Flames.)”

The Kings closed to within 5-3 in the second period as centers Brian Wilks, Marcel Dionne and right wing Brian Erickson scored. However, McDonald scored an insurance goal for Calgary with 5:17 left in the game.

“We got close, but we couldn’t find that extra goal to get back into it,” Wilks said.

The Flames have won eight straight games from the Kings dating back to last season.

“I’m sick of losing to that team,” Dionne told a Calgary reporter.

“I’ve worked all these years and we’re not even close.” Dionne said. “The money is great, but you still have to enjoy it. I’m 34 and I’m sick and tired of it. I watch (Chicago Bear running back Walter) Payton win the Super Bowl. I’ve played a lot of years and I’d like to be at that point.”

Asked why the Kings have difficulty with the Flames, Quinn said, “I don’t think there’s a mental block.

Despite the loss, the Kings (15-27-6) remained in a tie with the idle Vancouver Canucks for third place in the Smythe Division. Both teams have 36 points.

King Notes

The Kings return home for one game, playing the Minnesota North Stars Wednesday night at the Forum. The Kings will play two games at Winnipeg next weekend before the All-Star break. . . . King defenseman Mark Hardy was kicked out of the game with 4:05 left in the third period. Hardy got a five-minute major penalty for spearing and a game misconduct. . . . The Flames have called goalie Mike Vernon up from the minors because backup goalie Marc D’Amour suffered a pulled groin in practice. . . . The Kings were 1-6 on the power play against the Flames. Calgary was 1-7 on the power play.